SEDGWICK COUNTY— A Kansas man who pleaded guilty in connection with the 2023 shooting death of a man in Wichita is going to prison.
On Wednesday, Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced 21-year-old James Sawyer to more than 31-years in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections for the murder of 34-year-old Daniel McPherson during an attempted robbery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.
In July, Sawyer pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery.
On Dec. 6, 2023, the Blackwell, Oklahoma Police Department contacted Sedgwick County Dispatch, reporting a shooting investigation involving two individuals including Sawyer and 18-year-old Phillip Walls who had entered a Blackwell hospital, with one of them sustaining a gunshot wound, according to Officer Andrew Ford.
Following discussions with the subjects, Blackwell Police shared information with Sedgwick County Dispatch. Consequently, the Wichita Police Department was alerted to respond to the Hydraulic and MacArthur area based on information suggesting that the shooting victim, 34-year-old Daniel McPherson, would be found there.
Upon arrival, officers discovered McPherson with a gunshot wound to his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Homicide investigators were dispatched to conduct the investigation and later traveled to Blackwell, Oklahoma where Walls and Sawyer were in custody.
In May of 2024, Walls pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to the shooting and was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison, according to the district attorney's office.